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Making the most of spinning bikes

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Making the most of spinning bikes

Old 09-11-07, 06:59 AM
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Making the most of spinning bikes

I am abroad again for an extended period of time, this time in Cairo and I have signed up for a gym with some nice spinning bikes. There's not a chance in hell I am riding in the streets in Cairo, this place is chaotic hell on earth in the streets. So I am relegated to trying to adjust a spinning bike as closely to my road bike as possible. I felt like I did ok today getting the feel right, but of course no drops since they are bullhorns. I managed to talk the cute manager into letting me use the bikes in non-class time (Like I needed throbbing Arabic technopop, gross) so I can ride however I damn well please. I think I just try to ride to keep a base of fitness for the spring, but it's just so different. Riding two hours, no problem. 45 minutes inside? Torture.
So I guess I have to ask your expertise, I need so advice for making the most of a spinning bike to at least maintain a basic level of fitness. More would be great, but I am going to set my standards pretty low. Thanks guys!
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Old 09-11-07, 07:02 AM
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As much as you dislike the music, you should do the class. It would at least allow you to spend an hour on the bike with more than yourself. You can compete within yourself to be faster than the person next to you, etc.

Then if you want more, you can grab your i-pod and ride after the class is over...
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Old 09-11-07, 07:10 AM
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Originally Posted by calhoun1
As much as you dislike the music, you should do the class. It would at least allow you to spend an hour on the bike with more than yourself. You can compete within yourself to be faster than the person next to you, etc.

Then if you want more, you can grab your i-pod and ride after the class is over...
+1

Tough it out in the class, then do your own thing on the side. Use a HR monitor. Lots of spin "instructors" like to do low-cadence grinds which can damage your knees. Feel free to raise your cadence (and your HR) whenever you feel like it.

For the solo rides, try alternating fast songs with medium-tempo songs. Go all out on the fast ones, recover on the others. Gradually increase the resistance on your fast songs to jack your HR.
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Old 09-11-07, 07:24 AM
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Whether you do it in class, or by yourself, the key is going to be intervals. Since most people won't ride a stationary bike more than an hour, it's not well suited for training for endurance.

Thus the alternative is intensity. Do different types of intervals on diffierent days. You can do steady states (10-20 minutes at LT). Power intervals (1-3 minutes, high rpm, maximum effort). Sprints (all out 15 seconds) etc.
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Old 09-11-07, 07:56 AM
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Go with the group. One advantage I have found is that you are much less likely to quit early-the peer pressure keeps you in the room till the bitter end. One of the instructors at my gym is a cyclist, so it is all about intervals-no mashing involved. See if you can find a similar instructor.
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Old 09-11-07, 07:59 AM
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where do you guys find spinners in hotels?

Every hotel I go to has one of those awful upright things with no resistance and some salesman from Poughkeepsie yelling, "feel da burn" next to me.
 
Old 09-11-07, 08:09 AM
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Originally Posted by JoeB14
Go with the group. One advantage I have found is that you are much less likely to quit early-the peer pressure keeps you in the room till the bitter end. One of the instructors at my gym is a cyclist, so it is all about intervals-no mashing involved. See if you can find a similar instructor.
I may check it out, the problem is I doubt the instructors really know what's up. It's worth a shot, it all just seems a little silly to me. The peer pressure factor is pretty huge though. I just feel weird being in a class with people trying to lose weight or whatever, and I am trying to stay in shape to be competitive or at least have a base of fitness come spring.
Oh well.
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Old 09-11-07, 08:12 AM
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it doesn't matter why the other people are there. In my experience, at least in the gym I go to, there are multiple spin classes, some are easy and some hard, I managed to seek out the hardest one, and the people there are not there to lose weight, they are there for fitness. And the instructor teaches it drill sergeant style...

you may get lucky and find one of those
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Old 09-11-07, 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by DocRay
where do you guys find spinners in hotels?

Every hotel I go to has one of those awful upright things with no resistance and some salesman from Poughkeepsie yelling, "feel da burn" next to me.

True,

Hotel gyms usually are pretty bad. However, often times hotels will have an arrangement with a nearby actual gym. Also if you belong to the YMCA, you can use Y's that participate in the Y away program.

If you travel a lot its worth having a Y membership just to have access to a Gym on the road.
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Old 09-11-07, 09:16 AM
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I take spinning classes actually. I use them as easier workouts between my hard days. they actually do get the sweat going really great when you crank them up a little higher than the instructor says to on climbs and some of the sprints. you may also see if there is an endurance class. at my gym they offer a once a week endurance ride that lasts about an hour and 45 minutes. still not the same as the road, but it offers a somewhat similar workout away from the streets of cairo.

the only thing i would worry about is how well you know their language to take a class. good luck though, and stay safe.
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Old 09-11-07, 09:22 AM
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Spin classes are what you make of them, so they can be easy or hard. The intensity is completely up to you. I'd suggest doing the class because at least it gives you some structure that you don't have to think about. Then you can use that structure however you see fit. You don't have to necessarily do everything exactly like the instructor tells you. Increase/decrease the resistance however you like or spin at a higher/lower cadence to get the workout that you want. But it is kind of nice sometimes to have an instructor give you some structure to base your workout on.
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